Press Release

AIFS NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN

Stamford, CT – February 12, 2018
The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), one of the oldest and largest cultural exchange organizations in the world, announced today that President and CEO William L. Gertz has been elected Chairman.

Mr. Gertz, elected on Friday by the AIFS Board of Directors, succeeds Sir Cyril Taylor, the founder of AIFS, who passed away last month. Mr. Gertz joined AIFS in 1985 and has served as the President and CEO since 2005. He is just the second Chairman in the company’s history.

“This is our 54th year of bringing the world together through educational and cultural exchange,” states Mr. Gertz, a Fairfield, Connecticut resident. “I am honored to now continue this mission as AIFS Chairman.”

In addition, Mr. Gertz is also the Chair of the Alliance for International Exchange, a coalition of 90 cultural exchange organizations throughout the United States.

During his thirty-five year career in international education, Mr. Gertz has been a leader in the field of cultural exchange as a writer, innovator and advocate for young people around the world. In 2010, he organized a national Diversity Conference for the study abroad field held in Washington DC. Last year, he created and launched the Fearless Global Citizen campaign, a movement empowering youth to travel and embrace cultural diversity. Under Mr. Gertz’s leadership, AIFS was ranked as one of the top 10 places to work in Connecticut by Workplace Dynamics and Hearst Newspapers.

Headquartered in Stamford, AIFS has been a leading organization providing cultural exchange and educational opportunities for more than 1.6 million people since 1964.

For information on William L. Gertz and AIFS, contact Mike Liberty at (203) 399-5187 or by email at mliberty@aifs.com

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About AIFS
Founded in 1964, the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) organizes cultural exchange programs for more than 50,000 participants each year. AIFS operates 10 global locations and has programs and offerings in 29 countries worldwide.